If on a winter's night
by InfinitexJester
Summary: Elliot/Leo fluff. It's a cold night in the dorms... they have to keep warm somehow! Set pre-Headhunter so no angst.


It was an icy night and even Elliot who generally always kept a warm temperature, shivered. He glanced over at Leo, huddled in blankets, nose as ever behind a book. If the boy was cold he made no mention of it, but even he could see how pale Leo's skin was. Leaning down he pulled away the book which earned him an irritated glare.

"Do you intend to read all night? You'll catch your death sat there, not moving for so long."

Leo pouts, jerking the volume back. "I'm not cold. And I've almost finished this one."

Elliot sighs as he notes that in fact, Leo's definition of "almost finished" is actually just halfway. He'll be here hours yet if Elliot doesn't put a stop to it. He's tired from the day's swordplay and the snow outside has put him out of temper. He always did prefer autumn to the chillier months.

"Well, if you're not cold then you won't object to me taking my blanket back. _Some _of us want to sleep tonight."

Leo doesn't protest as he unwraps him from it; doesn't even look up from the page he's reading. Elliot shakes his head in exasperation and smiles slightly. Then his hand brushes Leo's cheek and his eyebrows knit.

"What the hell! You're like ice! Don't lie to me like that, you idiot!"

Leo looks up briefly. "I'm fine," He said.

Then sneezed.

Elliot frowned. "You really are stupid. Put the book down and go to bed, can't you? You're no good to me if you can't even look after your health."

Leo slaps the book shut with a loud slap and for a second Elliot shrinks back. Then he relaxes – yes, for once Leo is actually obeying him. Except that the bed that Leo goes to isn't his own – it's Elliot's.

"Your beds over there, Leo," He reminds him through gritted teeth. And Leo just turns with a twisted smile on his face.

"I know that. But have you seen it? I can hardly fit in _there._"

It's true. Leo's bed is covered in books, pile upon pile which Elliot knows better than to touch. If he dared to disrupt Leo's order, he knew he'd never hear the end of it. Messing with the other boy's books was something he knew never to try.

And Leo's already lying down, still in shirt sleeves and trousers in _his _bed.

"You see. I'll just have to share with you. I hope you don't kick in your sleep."

There's a mischievous glint to his eyes. Elliot sighs, sensing this is going to be a long night.

"It's your own fault for not tidying up properly," He grumbles, beaten. "I hope I do kick you."

Leo laughs, removing his glasses. "I warn you now, I'll kick back."

It's too cold to change and if Elliot's sharing a bed with his servant, he'd rather stay in shirt and trousers too. So, reluctantly he joins Leo. It's a tight squeeze, the two in the single bed even as small as Leo is and Elliot can feel too much of him pressed against this body. He flinches away with a shiver.

"Urgh, you're so cold!"

"If you come closer, I'll warm up." Leo's smile is crooked.

"So you intend to steal _my _body heat, huh?" Elliot moans, although in truth, he's gained heat since he got into the bed. Even his face is slightly red and he curses silently. He had the sneaking suspicion that Leo had planned this.

"Come on Elliot, warm me up please?"

Leo's eyes are big, beseeching and Elliot can feel himself giving in. It's having a strange effect upon him and he's finding it all too easy to forget that this is his servant and another boy. The long tangle of hair only makes Leo look more feminine and close as they are now, Elliot finds it oddly alluring. Really, he supposes Leo would make a pretty girl then shakes the idea away. Ridiculous. Why is he even having these thoughts? He wouldn't want Leo to be any different. Still, he even notices Leo's lips now, something he has never done before. He has to stop himself from leaning in a little, from closing the distance between them.

To make it worse, Leo snuggles closer until they're chest to chest and then he feels slim fingers moving, loosening buttons on his shirt.

"What are you doing?" He asked, a slight note of panic in his voice.

"Shhh," Leo murmured. "You feel warmer without the fabric in the way."

Elliot isn't surprised he does with the way his heart is pounding. Had he been cold before? Leo feels a little warmer too he thinks as he presses against him, uncomfortably close. His fingers rest lazily against the bare skin of his chest, achingly close to more sensitive areas. Indeed, he can feel his body reacting a little to the near touches and he hopes against hope that Leo is too numb from the cold to feel it.

"You can't feel comfortable like this, surely?" He chokes out.

Leo gives him a confused look. "We always used to sleep curled up together back in the orphanage. I forget you're the one with the privileged upbringing and could afford to have a bed of your own."

Elliot bites his lip. "That's not what I meant. You're not... _We're_ not kids anymore, Leo."

Leo's eyelids flutter and he yawns.

"Oh, I know. You're such a pervert getting all hot and bothered right now, aren't you? I _can_ feel that, you know. I'm not Ada so there's no use getting all excited."

He almost said that he didn't care that Leo wasn't that Vessalius girl with all her _assets_; that it was the last thing he would have wanted.

"I – No – I didn't mean to – I – You're too close, Leo!" He spluttered.

Leo gave him a sleepy smile. "_I know. _But you promised to warm me up, didn't you? Now you have to deal with the consequences."

Leo laughed as his master's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Goodnight, Elliot," He said and closed his eyes.


End file.
